The invention relates to belt couplers, but more particularly, the invention relates to a mechanical splice formed at contiguous belt ends that match or interfit with each other and are held together by pins embedded transversely of the belt.
It is often necessary or convenient to form an endless belt by joining belt ends with a mechanical splice. Some type of fastener such as pins or rivets are usually used in mixing the splice. An example of an interfitting mechanical splice for toothed belts appears in U.S. patent application No. 06/038,975 where a male-end belt tongue portion interfits with a female-end U-portion so that belt teeth of the male-end are aligned with belt teeth of the female-end. Holes are molded through the aligned belt teeth (i.e., laterally of the belt) and pins are inserted in the holes retaining the belt ends together. While such a "molded hole" belt splice is an improvement over a "drilled and pinned" splice of similar configuration, the molded holes are difficult to make and keep in alignment and the belt teeth have a tendency to distort when in use which may initiate splice failure. Also, it is difficult to demold metal rods that form the molded holes, particularly in wide belts.
Some belts use a reinforcement to provide a wear-resistant surface such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,929, or to increase transverse rigidity such as in variable speed cog belt as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,429 at FIG. 4. While such reinforcements solve problems of tooth strength and belt transverse rigidity, they do not solve problems associated with mechanical belt splicing techniques or hole molding techniques.